Chapter 1: Pyramids and Projects
six months earlier
Liz's POV
Sometimes we do crazy things that at the moment seem like the most natural thing. Okay, well that's not totally true. Sometimes we do things that we know we're going to regret later, but we can't help ourselves. You know what I'm talking about, right? What do you mean no! You can't tell me you've never done something like that! Okay that's not the point. Back to the story.
"Parker!" I cringe as Tess Harding's gerbil-like voice reaches my ears and I wonder what I've done now to anger the blonde co-captain of the cheerleading team.
"Liz, Liz, Liz." Tess says condescendingly while twirling one of her blonde curls around her finger.
"Yes Tess?" I answer back sweetly. Did I mention just how much I would like to rip those curls out of her pretty little head? She circles around me and by now has the attention of the rest of the cheerleaders.
"Liz, you do want to see us go to nationals this year don't you?" She asks.
"Of course Tess." I don't see what she's getting at and it's starting to frustrate me. Did I mention I hate Tess? Tess and I go way back, and not in a good way. We met in middle school and for some reason she's always hated me therefore making me her favorite person to pick on. I guess over the years that hasn't changed because here we are five years later and she's still on my case.
"You know Liz, if you paid as much attention to learning our new routine as you seem to be giving the football team, we might just make it to nationals and maybe even win." Oh, did I mention I joined the cheerleading squad? No? It must've slipped mind. I don't understand where she gets the nerve; I mean she was just staring at the football team as well.
"Hey Liz." And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I joined the cheerleading squad.
"Hey Jay, um how's it going?" I smile shyly and watch as he continues to jog around the field with the rest of the football team. Jay and I have also known each other since middle school as well and I think I've had a crush on him since I met him on the second day of seventh grade when his family moved to Roswell from Santa Fe. He has light blonde hair and not to mention the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes I have ever seen and it's easy to see how over half the female population at our school is in love with him. I watch as he turns back and winks at me which causes me to blush even more. sigh I'm in love.
"Liz! Stop ogling my brother and pay attention!" Tess squeals again. Blushing furiously now, I turn around. Yet another thing I hate to acknowledge. That my crush is related to Tess. Yes people, you have heard me right. I swear someone must have peed in their gene pool because there is no way that Jay turned out to be the wonderful, normal guy he is, and Tess turned out to be some psychotic, big-mouthed gerbil. I know, I know, hard to fathom. You can just imagine my reaction when I found out. See, Tess was in the middle of making my life miserable when Jay came to my rescue. He told Tess to back off and I thought I'd just met the man of my dreams. Cute, sweet, amazing eyes. Then Tess has to go and ruin it by saying she'd talk to him at home and stomping off.
"Liz? Are you even listening to me!" Whoa, is it me or is she turning purple?
"Tess, just leave her alone. You were staring at the football team too."
"But Serena-"
"Liz knows this routine better than you do Tess and if you don't leave her alone then as senior co-captain I'm going to have to pull rank." Huh. Well that certainly shut her up. Tess glares coldly at me and turns around to go back to her position.
"Okay girls, lets try a good old fashioned pyramid. Courtney. You, April, Jessica and Tess take the bottom.
"What! Why am I on the bottom? Serena this is totally unfair."
"Tess we don't have time for this. You're not the only one on the bottom. Now go to your position." He he. That's right. Put the blonde gerbil in her place. Tess grudgingly moves to her spot next to Jessica and sends an evil glare in my direction.
"Now, Ashley and Liz, each of you will be supported by two of the girls on the bottom of the pyramid so get into position. Liz I want you in front of –." Courtney and April. Courtney and April. Please say Courtney and April. Serena looks at me and smirks as if she knows what I'm thinking. "- Courtney and April. Ashley, you go stand in front of Jessica and Tess. Now on the count of three I want you two to lift Liz, and you two to lift Ashley. Now Liz, when you and Ashley are up I want you to grab each other's wrist and complete the pyramid. Got it?" We all nod and get in to position. "Good. One. Two. Three." In a matter of seconds Ashley and I are up and we easily accomplish Serena's instructions. "Okay girls, that's enough for today. You did good. Liz, Ashley, get down and you're all dismissed." Okay this is one of the things that I love about cheerleading. The dismounts. On The count of three I do a barrel tuck and am caught by Courtney and April.
"Serena! Wait up." I yell, trying to catch up with her in the crowded hallways of West Roswell High. Sometimes she's so rude. I mean we are going to the same class next period you'd think that she could wait for me. Serena stops and turns to wait for me. I can tell she's getting impatient because she starts to tap her foot.
"Thanks." I breathe out as I reach her side.
"No problemo babe, we are going to the same place."
"No, I mean for earlier, with Tess."
"Well yeah, what are cousins for? You know I'm not just a pretty face." Serena said trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. "Besides, I never liked Tess. She just screams desperate fake breasted skank."
"How did you figure out my nickname for her!" We both broke into laughter. "I'm so glad your parents let you finish your senior year here. I would've missed you."
"Awww Liz, you're going to make me cry." Serena laughed pretending to shed a fake tear.
"Shut up. I'm serious."
"Yeah, that's what you say now, but then it'll be like 'I can't wait for you to go home' or 'give me back my clothes' or 'Serena! Stop reading my journal.'" Is that my shirt she's wearing? Wait.
"YOU READ MY JOURNAL?"
"I needed something to keep me entertained. By the way, that thing you mentioned in Monday's entry? Totally true, that would be embarrassing." I can't believe her! That stuff is private! At my incredulous look she starts to crack up.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
"Good because a person's journal is private." Good thing she was kidding there's some pretty embarrassing stuff in there.
"Yeah, besides that dream you had about Jay the other night was more embarrassing."
"Serena! Geez, say it louder, I don't think the people in Czechoslovakia heard you."
"Liz, Czechoslovakia hasn't been a country for 10 years." It hasn't?
"That's not the point." I glare at her.
"Okay don't get your panties in a bunch. Come on, we're going to be late for Psychology." She starts to walk off and all I'm left to do is follow her.
"Are you okay?" Maria asks as I sigh heavily and sink down into my chair next to her. Okay? Sure I'm okay. Tess won't get off my case long enough for me to even talk to Jay and my cousin is invading my privacy. I'm just peachy.
"Yeah," I nod and pull out my psychology notebook. She gives me a look to let me know she's not convinced, and then turns around to look at Serena.
"So does this have to do with the fake breasted gerbil or her brother?" She asks.
"Neither. She's mad at me because I read a particularly embarrassing entry in her journal." Serena replies casually as if it happens all the time. I turn a glare in her direction.
"Ooh what was it about?" Maria asks excitedly.
"Maria!" I yell and smack her on the shoulder. I can't believe this. What is this, a conspiracy?
"I mean um… Serena! That is such an invasion of privacy! I can't believe you would do something like that!" Maria says with indignation. Thank you!
"Right, so I'll tell you later?"
"Yeah, thanks Serena." What the heck! Traitor.
"Hey what'd I miss?" Alex asks as he takes his seat beside Serena. Oh just the conspiracy between my cousin and best friend to make sure I have no privacy. He takes in the expressions on our faces and turns towards Serena and Maria. "What'd you guys do now?"
"Hey! I resent that accusation!" Serena yells. Alex turns towards me.
"She read your journal?"
"Yep." Before I could say anything else the bell rings and in walks the teacher.
"Good afternoon class. As I'm sure you all know, your projects are due on Friday which gives you all four days to do them. Today we will be talking about the requirements for your projects and partners-."
"Liz, psst! Liz! Maria whispers loudly trying to gain my attention inconspicuously. When I don't answer her she shoves me hard on the shoulder, thinking I haven't heard her. I lose my balance and almost fall crashing to the floor but I manage to grip the table before my face eats the floor.
"Geez. What the heck Maria!" I shout loudly.
"Ms. Parker!" Huh? Oops. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the class, Ms. Parker?" What? How come Maria doesn't get in trouble?
"Wait I…but she…" I try to explain looking back and forth between Maria and the teacher. Oh this is so not fair.
"Well?" She asks expectantly.
"No Ms. Thomason." I say sitting down. Maria is going down. I turn and give her the evil eye to which she gulps and waves nervously.
"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted," the teacher continues, sending a glare my way. Hey, what gives? It was all Maria's fault. Say it with me, M-A-R-I-A. "Your partner will be the person sitting next to you." I turn another cold stare in Maria's direction and continue taking notes. "Presentations are on Friday and you must have graphs or some other form of notes. Now remember, this project is on social psychology so you're studying people's reactions to certain things." How about if I study my partner's reaction to pain? No? Darnn. "I think that's all you need to know so if there aren't any questions, you may have the rest of the period to discuss with your partners what it is your project will be on." She sends one last glare at me and turns around towards her desk to grade our papers.
"Um… Liz? You're not mad at me um…are you?" Maria laughs nervously in my direction.
"Maria, what would ever give you that idea? You're my best friend. I could never be mad at you." Maria looks relieved and I steal a glance back at my cousin and Alex to see that the warning signals have gone off in their heads and they look sympathetically at Maria and shake their heads.
"Good, I'm glad you're not mad, because I didn't mean to-. AHHHHHHH! LIZ!" she shrieks as I slowly remove my pink highlighter from her face. Ha ha. Serves her right. Alex and Serena try to stifle their laughter at the now bright pink line on Maria's cheek. But when Maria turns to look at them they quickly pretend to be discussing their project. "Geez Liz! What was that for!"
"For being a jerk and getting me in trouble!"
"I told you I didn't mean to do it. I was trying to get your attention. It's not my fault you were ignoring me!"
"Um actually it is. Remember the whole journal conspiracy thing?" I remind her.
"Oh yeah." She replies looking embarrassed.
"Besides, what was so important that it couldn't wait?"
"Well, being the amazing best friend I am I thought you'd like to know that Jay is going to that party at the old soap factory tonight." He is?
"How'd you find that out?"
"Well, that was why I was trying to get your attention so badly. Jay was looking for you." He was! "Yeah, he was." Maria says reading the surprise on my face. "Apparently he tried talking to you after practice but you'd run off so fast he didn't get a chance. So he gave me this note to give to you." She finishes with a smile.
"I'm so sorry I was ever mad at you Maria. You're the best!" I tell her, grabbing the note from her hands."
"I know, I know, but feel free to keep telling me." She says with a smug expression. I practically rip open the note and stare hungrily at the page. What the?
"Maria, what's this?" Maria looks over my shoulder at the paper and turns beet red with mortification. "Maria? Who's M and why are you meeting him in the eraser room?" Alex and Serena's attention is more prominent now both peeking over our shoulders to get a look at the note as well.
"Oops…um wrong note." She says hastily yanking the paper from my grasp. Digging through her backpack she finally produces another note and hands it to me. "Okay, here's the right one. What?"
"It's no use trying to distract us babe. We wanna know who M is and we're not leaving you alone till you tell us." Serena says, resting her head forward on her palm, the interest sparkling in her green eyes. Alex and I nod our heads vigorously in agreement.
The reason we're all so interested in Maria's love life is because to our knowledge, Maria hasn't shown an interest in any guy since Billy Knowlton broke up with her two years ago and now all of a sudden she's meeting guys in the eraser room. This is huge!
"I don't know what you guys talking about." Okay time to pull out the guilt card.
"Maria. I'm your best friend. How come you never told me about this guy? It hurts to know that you don't trust me anymore." Putting all the feelings of hurt I can manage into my voice I look at her with my best sad puppy dog look. Oh I think its working.
"Liz, that was low." Maria states disapprovingly. Guess it didn't work after all. "And if you all must know, I've been feeling down lately so I have been writing myself love notes to make me feel better."
"You wrote a note to yourself asking yourself to meet you in the eraser room?" Alex asks incredulously.
"Well it sounds stupid when you say it like that, but yeah." Okay….. If she thinks we're going to believe that then she's got another thing coming.
"You know we're going to find out eventually. You might as well just tell us now."
"I told you Liz, there's nothing to tell." Uh huh, yeah right. "Anyways, what does the note from Jay say?" I know she's trying to change the subject, but what can I say, it works. I slowly read the note and drink in every word written in Jay's neat handwriting. As I reach the end of the note I squeal in delight causing Ms. Thomason's glare to once again focus on me. What? Just because she doesn't get love letters doesn't mean she should ruin the experience for those of us that do. I mean she's no spring chicken.
All of a sudden the room gets deathly quiet. And then, laughter. I look around the room to see what's going on. That's when I notice Maria, Alex, and Serena all staring at me with shocked expressions on their faces. And then I look to the front of the classroom to see Ms. Thomason's face blood red with anger and embarrassment.
"Maria?"
"Yeah Liz?"
"Please don't tell me I just said that out loud." I beg her.
"Okay then I won't tell you." Oh crap.